Kwangmyong (network)

The first website in North Korea, the Naenara web portal, was made in 1996. Efforts to establish the Kwangmyong network on a national scale began as early as 1997, with some development of intranet services in the Rajin-Sonbong Economic Special Zone as early as 1995. The intranet was originally developed by the Central Scientific and Technological Information Agency.{{Cite web |date=2018-09-17 |title=[ICT광장] 북한 인트라넷에 대한 이해 |url=http://www.koit.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=73914 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817153336/http://www.koit.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=73914 |archive-date=2021-08-17 |access-date=2021-04-01 |website=정보통신신문 |language=ko}}{{Cite web |last=정용수 |date=2003-03-07 |title=북한에도 컴퓨터 통신망 쫙 깔렸다 |url=https://news.joins.com/article/132153 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611010211/https://news.joins.com/article/132153 |archive-date=2020-06-11 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=JoongAng Ilbo |language=ko}}{{Cite journal |last=Banks |first=Stacey |date=2005 |title=North Korean Telecommunications: On Hold |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43908662 |url-status=live |journal=North Korean Review |volume=1 |pages=88–94 |doi=10.3172/NKR.1.1.88 |issn=1551-2789 |jstor=43908662 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817153552/https://www.jstor.org/stable/43908662 |archive-date=2021-08-17 |access-date=2021-03-31 }} The national Kwangmyong intranet was first in service during the early 2000s.{{Cite web |last=e=2021-03-04 |title=[단독] 북한, 우표 쇼핑몰 만들어 외화벌이 안간힘 |url=http://www.upinews.kr/newsView/upi202103030107 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304002904/http://www.upinews.kr/newsView/upi202103030107 |archive-date=2021-03-04 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=UPI뉴스 (United Press International) |language=ko}} North Korea's first email provider was Sili Bank, established in 2001.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Martyn |date=2016-11-28 |title=How the Internet Works ("Works") in North Korea |url=https://slate.com/technology/2016/11/how-the-internet-works-in-north-korea.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221165718/https://slate.com/technology/2016/11/how-the-internet-works-in-north-korea.html |archive-date=2019-02-21 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=Slate Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Lintner |first=Bertil |date=2007-04-24 |title=Kwangmyong computer network – North Korea's IT revolution |url=http://www.nkeconwatch.com/category/dprk-organizations/companies/korea-computer-center-kcc/kwangmyong-computer-network/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927153654/http://www.nkeconwatch.com/category/dprk-organizations/companies/korea-computer-center-kcc/kwangmyong-computer-network/ |archive-date=2007-09-27 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=North Korean Economy Watch |language=en-US}}

Prior to 2006, North Koreans would use intranet chat rooms to organize meetups to play sports, such as basketball. Following an incident where, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Naenara, around 300 North Korean intranet users organized a flash mob at the Pyongyang Gymnasium, all chat rooms were removed from the North Korean intranet.{{Cite news |last=주성하 |date=2010-04-30 |title=남한 밀수 컴퓨터에 '야동' 가득 '누리꾼 체육대회'로 채팅방 전격 폐쇄 |url=https://shindonga.donga.com/3/all/13/109365/1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817153335/https://shindonga.donga.com/3/all/13/109365/1 |archive-date=2021-08-17 |access-date=2021-03-31 |work=The Dong-a Ilbo |pages=1–6}} Regional chat rooms reportedly made a return in 2015.{{Cite web |date=2016-06-08 |title=대북매체 "한국 뮤직비디오, 北 젊은층서 유행" |url=https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1003615559 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214020255/https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1003615559 |archive-date=2019-12-14 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=SBS News |language=ko}}

In 2013, Anonymous-affiliated hackers claimed to have broken into North Korea's intranet.{{Cite news |last=Boone |first=Jeb |date=April 2, 2013 |title=Anonymous Korea continues attacks against North Korean sites |url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-04-02/anonymous-korea-continues-attacks-against-north-korean-sites |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819010049/https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-04-02/anonymous-korea-continues-attacks-against-north-korean-sites |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=The World}} However, evidence for the claim was lacking.{{Cite news |last=Weber |first=Peter |date=January 8, 2015 |title=Is Anonymous meddling in the North Korea standoff? |url=https://theweek.com/articles/465984/anonymous-meddling-north-korea-standoff |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818191055/https://theweek.com/articles/465984/anonymous-meddling-north-korea-standoff |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=The Week}}{{Cite news |last=Dewey |first=Caitlin |date=April 4, 2013 |title=Sorry, Anonymous probably didn't hack North Korea's intranet |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/04/04/sorry-anonymous-probably-didnt-hack-north-koreas-intranet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828193339/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/04/04/sorry-anonymous-probably-didnt-hack-north-koreas-intranet/ |archive-date=2021-08-28 |access-date=2021-08-19 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite news |last=Salmon |first=Andrew |date=March 2, 2021 |title=North Korea's cyber commandos range far, strike deep |url=https://asiatimes.com/2021/03/kims-cyber-commandos-range-far-strike-deep/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819010038/https://asiatimes.com/2021/03/kims-cyber-commandos-range-far-strike-deep/ |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=Asia Times}}

A video conferencing system called Rakwon was developed at Kim Il-sung University in 2010. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became much more popular for remote meetings and appeared regularly on news bulletins. Telemedicine and remote education systems have been developed.{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Martyn |date=13 May 2021 |title=Rakwon: North Korea's Video Conferencing Paradise |url=https://www.38north.org/2021/05/rakwon-north-koreas-video-conferencing-paradise/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627131623/https://www.38north.org/2021/05/rakwon-north-koreas-video-conferencing-paradise/ |archive-date=27 June 2022 |access-date=27 May 2021 |work=38 North |publisher=The Henry L. Stimson Center}}

The first online shopping website was opened in 2015, and 22 such websites were available by 2021. The Central Bank of North Korea launched an electronic payment system in 2020.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20240718170035/https://go.recordedfuture.com/hubfs/reports/CTA-NK-2024-0718.pdf Despite Sanctions, North Koreans Continue to Use Foreign Technology]}}

As of 2014, the Kwangmyong network was estimated to have between about 1,000 and 5,500 websites.{{Cite news |last=Eric Talmadge |date=23 February 2014 |title=North Korea: Where the Internet has just 5,500 sites |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/02/23/north_korea_where_the_internet_has_just_5500_sites.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807103142/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/02/23/north_korea_where_the_internet_has_just_5500_sites.html |archive-date=7 August 2020 |access-date=15 July 2014 |work=Toronto Star |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite news |last=Riley |first=Charles |date=26 August 2016 |title=Netflix jokes about North Korean knockoff 'Manbang' |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/08/26/technology/netflix-north-korea/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531230849/https://money.cnn.com/2016/08/26/technology/netflix-north-korea/ |archive-date=31 May 2022 |access-date=31 May 2022 |work=CNN}} In 2021, Max Fisher of Vox estimated that the number was about 5,000.{{Cite news |last1=Werman |first1=Marco |last2=Fisher |first2=Max |title=North Korea's Internet outage affected few users |url=https://www.pri.org/node/71315/popout |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818140755/https://www.pri.org/node/71315/popout |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=The World}} Excélsior also estimated the number at about 5,000 the following year.{{Cite news |date=17 May 2022 |title=Así es Kwangmyong, el internet controlado por Corea del Norte |trans-title=This is Kwangmyong, the internet controlled by North Korea |url=https://www.excelsior.com.mx/global/kwangmyong-internet-corea-del-norte/1515653 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520011151/http://www.excelsior.com.mx/global/kwangmyong-internet-corea-del-norte/1515653 |archive-date=20 May 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022 |work=Excélsior |language=es}}

The Kwangmyong network is composed of many websites and services. Some sites host political and economic propaganda. Scientific and cultural information and fields of knowledge among other topics can be found elsewhere.{{Cite journal |last=Beal |first=Tim |date=2001-01-01 |title=Information and communications technologies in the two Koreas: Contrasts, commonalities, challenges |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/12265080108449833 |url-status=live |journal=Global Economic Review |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=51–67 |doi=10.1080/12265080108449833 |issn=1226-508X |s2cid=153611667 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111152120/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/12265080108449833 |archive-date=2024-01-11 |access-date=2021-04-01}}{{Cite journal |last=Stone |first=R. |date=2004-09-17 |title=Scientific Exchanges : The Ultimate, Exclusive LAN |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.305.5691.1701 |url-status=live |journal=Science |language=en |volume=305 |issue=5691 |page=1701 |doi=10.1126/science.305.5691.1701 |issn=0036-8075 |pmid=15375243 |s2cid=166923747 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826010715/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.305.5691.1701 |archive-date=2023-08-26 |access-date=2022-06-30}} Over 30 million mostly scientific or technical documents were reportedly posted to the intranet as of 2007.

Websites of various North Korean government agencies including provincial government, cultural institutions, major universities and libraries, some local schools, and some of the major industrial and commercial organizations are accessible to users. The network also contains (mostly science-related) websites from the open Internet that are downloaded, reviewed and censored.

An internal emailing service is available on the Kwangmyong network.{{Cite web |last=Talmadge |first=Eric |date=2017-11-11 |title=North Korea's digital divide: Online elites, isolated masses |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/blue-sky/ct-north-korea-digital-divide-20171111-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813084036/https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/blue-sky/ct-north-korea-digital-divide-20171111-story.html |archive-date=2020-08-13 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=The Chicago Tribune}} A search engine is in use for browsing the Kwangmyong intranet.{{Cite news |date=2007-02-01 |title=Weird but wired |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2007/02/01/weird-but-wired |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817153333/https://www.economist.com/asia/2007/02/01/weird-but-wired |archive-date=2021-08-17 |access-date=2021-03-31 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}} The search engine reportedly goes by the name "Naenara", which means "Our Country".{{Cite web |last=Russon |first=Mary-Ann |date=2016-09-22 |title=No, North Korea's internet doesn't only have 28 websites, but Reddit did manage to crash them |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/no-north-koreas-internet-doesnt-only-have-28-websites-reddit-did-manage-crash-them-1582750 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923053842/https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/no-north-koreas-internet-doesnt-only-have-28-websites-reddit-did-manage-crash-them-1582750 |archive-date=2016-09-23 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=International Business Times UK |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last1=Seliger |first1=Bernhard |last2=Schmidt |first2=Stefan |date=2014 |title=The Hermit Kingdom Goes Online ... Information Technology, Internet Use and Communication Policy in North Korea |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43908932 |url-status=live |journal=North Korean Review |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=71–88 |doi=10.3172/NKR.10.1.71 |issn=1551-2789 |jstor=43908932 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817085728/https://www.jstor.org/stable/43908932 |archive-date=2021-08-17 |access-date=2021-04-01 }} A Facebook-like social networking service in use by professors and university students existed as of 2013, and was used to post birthday messages.{{Cite news |last=Dewey |first=Caitlin |date=13 March 2013 |title=A rare glimpse of North Korea's version of Facebook |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/03/13/a-rare-glimpse-of-north-koreas-version-of-facebook/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602064637/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/03/13/a-rare-glimpse-of-north-koreas-version-of-facebook/ |archive-date=2 June 2015 |access-date=15 July 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} CNN reported in 2017 that a "North Korean equivalent to Facebook" exists.{{Cite news |last1=Ripley |first1=Will |last2=Lourdes |first2=Marc |date=September 2017 |title=Secret State: A journey into the heart of North Korea |url=https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/09/asia/north-korea-secret-state/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815094932/https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/09/asia/north-korea-secret-state/ |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=CNN}} Message boards are known to exist on the network.{{Cite news |last=Sung |first=Choi |date=March 11, 2016 |title=N. Korea's National Science and Technology Intranet 'Kwangmyong' |url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=58618 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814041909/http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=58618 |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=The Korea IT Times}} An IPTV video-streaming service called Manbang (만방), Korean for "Everyone", was reportedly launched in August 2016, though the name Manbang appeared in North Korean technology as early as 2013. It is accessed by a Wi-Fi-enabled set-top box. It can be accessed through smartphones and tablet computers.{{Cite book |last=Inc |first=IBP |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2nCxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39 |title=Korea North Telecom Laws and Regulations Handbook |volume= 1 Strategic Information and Laws Affecting Telecom Sector and Foreign Investments |date= 2018 |publisher=Lulu Press |isbn=978-1-4330-8202-3 |page=39 |language=en |access-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111152051/https://books.google.com/books?id=2nCxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=11 January 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Martyn |date=22 February 2019 |title=Manbang IPTV Service in Depth |url=https://www.38north.org/2019/02/mwilliams022219/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807103144/https://www.38north.org/2019/02/mwilliams022219/ |archive-date=7 August 2020 |access-date=6 March 2019 |work=38 North |publisher=The Henry L. Stimson Center}} Reportedly the Kwangmyong has been used for online dating. Chat rooms were used by North Koreans interested in sports until 2006, when the chat rooms were removed. Regional chat rooms were added in 2015.

Domestic state news services are available on the network, such as the Korean Central News Agency, Rodong Sinmun, and Voice of Korea.{{Cite web |last=Rohrlich |first=Justin |date=16 January 2013 |title=Interview with an unlikely capitalist in North Korea |url=https://qz.com/44207/interview-with-an-unlikely-capitalist-in-north-korea/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116194817/https://qz.com/44207/interview-with-an-unlikely-capitalist-in-north-korea/ |archive-date=2013-01-16 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=Quartz |language=en}} Scientific research websites of academic and scholarly works devoted to the network are served through web-based academic exchanges and information sharing such as the Academy of Sciences for Science and Technology ({{korean|hangul=과학기술전시관|hanja=科學技術展示館|context=north}})http://www.stic.ac.kp/{{dead link|date=August 2024|fix-attempted=yes}} and the Academy of Sciences for Medical Science ({{korean|hangul=의학과학정보센터|context=north}}).http://www.icms.he.kp/{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} An electronic library is present on the network, which also hosts video lectures for various topics.http://www.elib.edu.kp/{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Some e-commerce and e-banking websites exist on the network.{{Cite web |last=Jeff Baron |date=11 March 2013 |title=Book Review: 'A Capitalist in North Korea' |url=http://38north.org/2013/03/jbaron031113/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313063643/http://38north.org/2013/03/jbaron031113/ |archive-date=13 March 2013 |access-date=11 March 2013 |website=38 North |publisher=School of Advanced International Studies}}{{Cite web |date=2020-12-04 |title=[리얼북한] '광명망' 쇼핑사이트는 모두 22개 |url=http://www.sisaweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=33381 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204005347/http://www.sisaweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=33381 |archive-date=2020-12-04 |access-date=2021-04-01 |website=시사주간 |language=ko}}{{Cite web |date=2015-05-06 |title=For most, N. Korean online shopping not just a click away |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/06/north-korea-launches-e-shopping-website-despite-having-no-internet.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924231907/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/06/north-korea-launches-e-shopping-website-despite-having-no-internet.html |archive-date=2015-09-24 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=CNBC |language=en}} Some video games also exist on the intranet. One of the games available on the Kwangmyong is Korean chess. Phones provide access to e-books and mobile payment.{{Cite web |date=2015-12-09 |title=North Korea's newest fad: 'Boy General' phone game |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/09/north-koreas-newest-fad-boy-general-mobile-phone-game.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808163514/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/09/north-koreas-newest-fad-boy-general-mobile-phone-game.html |archive-date=2016-08-08 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=CNBC |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2020-01-30 |title=北에도 '모바일 결제 앱' 있다…모바일뱅킹 기초 기능 |url=https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20200130/99454627/1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818043557/https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20200130/99454627/1 |archive-date=2021-08-18 |access-date=2021-03-31 |work=The Dong-a Ilbo |language=ko}} Some cultural websites are among the few .kp domain websites which have been openly accessible to foreigners through the global Internet, such as at least one culinary site and one displaying the country's film industry.{{Cite news |last=Asher |first=Saira |date=2016-09-21 |title=What the North Korean internet really looks like |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37426725 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218133938/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37426725 |archive-date=2021-02-18 |access-date=2021-03-31 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} Other services in use on the intranet include dictionaries, telehealth, and text messaging services. Reportedly a travel website allowed North Koreans to plan vacations within the country.{{Cite news |last=Chomchuen |first=Timothy W. Martin and Warangkana |date=2017-12-06 |title=North Koreans Get Smartphones, and the Regime Keeps Tabs |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-koreans-get-smartphones-and-the-regime-keeps-tabs-1512556200 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223180111/https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-koreans-get-smartphones-and-the-regime-keeps-tabs-1512556200 |archive-date=2020-12-23 |access-date=2021-08-19 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}

Kwangmyong is designed to be accessible only from within North Korea.{{Cite web |last1=Haddou |first1=Rashid |last2=Winsor |first2=Morgan |date=2019-07-24 |title=Inside North Korea: What life for a rare foreign student in Pyongyang reveals about the reclusive country |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/inside-north-korea-life-rare-foreign-student-pyongyang/story?id=62090283 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724071219/https://abcnews.go.com/International/inside-north-korea-life-rare-foreign-student-pyongyang/story?id=62090283 |archive-date=2019-07-24 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=ABC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Vladimir |first1=Kropotov |last2=Lin |first2=Philippe |last3=Yarochkin |first3=Fyodor |last4=Hacquebord |first4=Feike |date=2017-10-17 |title=A Closer Look at North Korea's Internet |url=https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/17/j/a-closer-look-at-north-koreas-internet.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917170758/https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/17/j/a-closer-look-at-north-koreas-internet.html |archive-date=2020-09-17 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=Trend Micro |language=en-US}} Access is available within major cities and counties, as well as universities and major industrial and commercial organizations. For example, a library at the Pyongyang Sci-Tech Complex provides access to the intranet, and is reportedly used by different types of people, including factory workers, children and researchers for various purposes.{{Cite news |date=19 November 2017 |title=North Korea Slowly Goes Online |url=https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/north-korea-slowly-goes-online/4113399.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520074859/https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/north-korea-slowly-goes-online/4113399.html |archive-date=20 May 2022 |access-date=31 May 2022 |work=Voice of America}} About 3,000 computer terminals are usable there.{{Cite news |date=9 November 2017 |title=How North Korea is slowly embracing its own sealed version of the internet – complete with stringent surveillance |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2119146/how-north-korea-slowly-embracing-its-own-sealed-version-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105233845/https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2119146/how-north-korea-slowly-embracing-its-own-sealed-version-internet |archive-date=5 January 2020 |access-date=31 May 2022 |work=The South China Morning Post |agency=The Associated Press}} The intranet is also accessible from another library at the Grand People's Study House.

Sites in the network are commonly accessed using 24-bit block private IPv4 addresses.

The first "internet café" (or "intranet cafe") in North Korea was opened in Pyongyang, where one may access the country's intranet services. It opened in 2002, near Kwangbok station, and has about 100 computers.{{Cite news |last=Khazan |first=Olga |date=December 11, 2012 |title=What it's like to use the Internet in North Korea |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/12/11/what-its-like-to-use-the-internet-in-north-korea/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412004739/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/12/11/what-its-like-to-use-the-internet-in-north-korea/ |archive-date=12 April 2019 |access-date=19 July 2016 |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{Cite web |date=2003-07-28 |title=North Korea develops internet |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240051922/North-Korea-develops-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531001157/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240051922/North-Korea-develops-internet |archive-date=2013-05-31 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=Computer Weekly |language=en}} It was opened by a Seoul company named Hoonnet, and a North Korean company named Jangsaeng General Trade Company.{{Cite news |date=May 27, 2002 |title=First internet cafe opens in P'yang |url=http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=7014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818153125/http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=7014 |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=KBS World}} These cafes, also known as "PC rooms" or "Information Technology Stores", began appearing across North Korea as soon as the early 2000s, and can be accessed for a fee.{{Cite web |last=Jong-Heon Lee |date=2002-05-28 |title=Internet cafe opens in N.Korea |url=https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2002/05/28/Internet-cafe-opens-in-NKorea/75791022581893/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818043556/https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2002/05/28/Internet-cafe-opens-in-NKorea/75791022581893/ |archive-date=2021-08-18 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=United Press International |language=en}} The cafes provide other paid services as well, such as computing classes. As of 2005, the price for accessing these services was considered prohibitively expensive for the average North Korean citizen, according to Daily NK.{{Cite news |last=Jung |first=Yang |title=Controlling Internet Café in North Korea |url=http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00300&num=206 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807115831/https://www.dailynk.com/english// |archive-date=7 August 2020 |access-date=19 July 2016 |work=Daily NK}}

The process of installing an approved personal computer in North Korean homes which would be capable of accessing the intranet requires inspection and authorization from local government authorities.{{Cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Youkyung |last2=Kim |first2=Tong-Hyung |date=2014-12-23 |title=A look at North Korea's limited Internet capabilities |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/a-look-at-north-koreas-limited-internet-capabilities/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818043556/https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/a-look-at-north-koreas-limited-internet-capabilities/ |archive-date=2021-08-18 |access-date=2021-03-31 |work=The Seattle Times}}{{Cite web |last=Boynton |first=Robert S. |date=2011-02-24 |title=North Korea's Digital Underground |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/04/north-koreas-digital-underground/308414/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819085446/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/04/north-koreas-digital-underground/308414/ |archive-date=2012-08-19 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}} As of 2010, an estimated 200,000 such personal computers were in Pyongyang private homes, and access to the Kwangmyong is more common among people in cities compared to those in rural areas.{{Cite web |last=Fisher |first=Max |date=2014-12-22 |title=Yes, North Korea has the internet. Here's what it looks like. |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7435625/north-korea-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223013421/https://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7435625/north-korea-internet |archive-date=2014-12-23 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=Vox |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Pappas |first=Stephanie |date=8 April 2013 |title=7 Strange Cultural Facts About North Korea |url=https://www.livescience.com/28528-7-cultural-facts-north-korea.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531230849/https://www.livescience.com/28528-7-cultural-facts-north-korea.html |archive-date=31 May 2022 |access-date=31 May 2022 |work=LiveScience}} A 2017 survey found that 19% of households had a computer but only 1% had a computer with access to Kwangmyong. The figure for households in possession of a computer with Kwangmyong access was 5% in Pyongyang.[https://www.reuters.com/article/world/tackling-north-koreas-chronically-poor-sewage-not-rocket-science-un-idUSKBN1JG2RH/ Tackling North Korea's chronically poor sewage 'not rocket science' – U.N.] However, Kwangmyong can also be accessed on mobile phones. As of 2018, it was estimated that 18-20% of the population had mobile phones with Kwangmyong access.

Kwangmyong has 24-hour unlimited access by dial-up telephone line. In addition to access from personal computers, the national intranet may be accessed from mobile devices on 3G network. {{As of|2013}}, a number of Android-based tablet computer products, including the Samjiyon tablet computer, can be purchased in North Korea that give access to Kwangmyong.{{Cite news |last=Martyn Williams |date=30 July 2013 |title=Android tablet gives rare glimpse at North Korean tech |url=http://www.itworld.com/367228/android-tablet-gives-rare-glimpse-north-korean-tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807115837/https://www.computerworld.com// |archive-date=7 August 2020 |access-date=15 July 2014 |work=IT World}} A 2017 estimate put the number of mobile phones in North Korea at between 2.5 and 3 million. In 2020, another estimate put the number of mobile phone users at 4.5 million.{{Cite news |last=정용환 |date=2020-08-11 |title=북한 휴대폰 가입 600만…고급모델은 2년전 갤럭시A7 수준 |url=https://news.joins.com/article/23845770 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617060109/https://news.joins.com/article/23845770 |archive-date=2021-06-17 |access-date=2021-03-31 |work=JoongAng Ilbo}} Mobile phones are the more common way for North Koreans to access the Kwangmyong intranet. Access to the global Internet or phone numbers outside of North Korea is not permitted aside from highest-ranked government officials and certain employees of the Korea Computer Center.{{Cite news |last=Jaewon |first=Kim |date=June 6, 2019 |title=North Koreans tap into smartphone apps on restricted state network |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/N-Korea-at-crossroads/North-Koreans-tap-into-smartphone-apps-on-restricted-state-network |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814043404/https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/N-Korea-at-crossroads/North-Koreans-tap-into-smartphone-apps-on-restricted-state-network |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |access-date=August 13, 2021 |work=The Nikkei}}{{Cite magazine |last=Osnos |first=Evan |date=September 7, 2017 |title=The Risk of Nuclear War with North Korea |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/09/18/the-risk-of-nuclear-war-with-north-korea |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801215405/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/09/18/the-risk-of-nuclear-war-with-north-korea |archive-date=August 1, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |magazine=The New Yorker}} Like personal computers, phones must be approved by authorities.{{Cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Tong-Hyung |last2=Lee |first2=Youkyung |date=2014-12-23 |title=Look At How Bizarre North Korea's 'Internet' Is |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-at-north-koreas-tightly-controlled-internet-services-2014-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223110519/https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-at-north-koreas-tightly-controlled-internet-services-2014-12 |archive-date=2014-12-23 |access-date=2021-04-01 |website=Business Insider}} According to Radio Free Asia, the government began requiring cell phone users to install surveillance software through an app to access the intranet in 2022. The app, called the Kwangmyong app, connects users to their subscriptions to the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper and other educational and informational services but also contains surveillance software which allows the Ministry of State Security and other law enforcement agencies to track their locations and see if they're accessing foreign content.{{Cite news |last=Son |first=Hyemin |title=North Korea requires cellphone users to install invasive surveillance app |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/app-07082022150535.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904230701/https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/app-07082022150535.html |archive-date=4 September 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022 |work=Radio Free Asia}}

In 2018, North Korea unveiled a new Wi-Fi service called Mirae ("Future"), which allowed mobile devices to access the intranet network in Pyongyang.{{Cite news |last=Jakhar |first=Pratik |date=15 December 2018 |title=North Korea's high-tech pursuits: Propaganda or progress? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46563454 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807103256/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46563454 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |access-date=16 December 2018 |publisher=BBC}}

In December 2023, North Korea started to deploy 4G network for mobile device to access the intranet network.{{Cite web |last=Mun |first=Dong Hui |date=2023-12-29 |title=N. Korea begins accepting subscribers to 4G cellular network |url=https://www.dailynk.com/english/n-korea-begins-accepting-subscribers-to-4g-cellular-network/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102044920/https://www.dailynk.com/english/n-korea-begins-accepting-subscribers-to-4g-cellular-network/ |archive-date=2024-01-02 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Daily NK |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Jeong |first=Tae Joo |date=2023-11-03 |title=N. Korea imports second-hand Huawei devices to modernize telecommunications network |url=https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-imports-second-hand-huawei-devices-modernize-telecommunications-network/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102044918/https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-imports-second-hand-huawei-devices-modernize-telecommunications-network/ |archive-date=2024-01-02 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Daily NK |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Martyn |date=2023-11-04 |title=Is 4G on the Horizon for North Korea? |url=https://www.northkoreatech.org/2023/11/04/is-4g-on-the-horizon-for-north-korea/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102050422/https://www.northkoreatech.org/2023/11/04/is-4g-on-the-horizon-for-north-korea/ |archive-date=2024-01-02 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=North Korea Tech |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Mun |first=Dong Hui |date=2024-11-14 |title=North Korea's 4G launch: Pyongyang first in phased rollout |url=https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-koreas-4g-launch-pyongyang-first-in-phased-rollout/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Daily NK |language=en}}

The network uses Korean as the main interface language, though the government's web portal (Naenara), is multilingual.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Martyn |title=North Korean news and media websites |url=https://www.northkoreatech.org/the-north-korean-website-list/north-korean-news-media-websites/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809013625/https://www.northkoreatech.org/the-north-korean-website-list/north-korean-news-media-websites/ |archive-date=August 9, 2017 |access-date=April 1, 2021 |website=North Korea Tech |language=en-US}} There is a dictionary available to users for translation between Korean and Russian, Chinese, English, French, German and Japanese, with a database containing at least 1,700,000 words, to assist users who may not be familiar with foreign languages.{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Ruediger |date=2013-10-22 |title=The North Korean Tablet Computer Samjiyon: Hardware, Software and Resources |url=https://www.38north.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SamjiyonProductReview_RFrank102213-2.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102055651/https://www.38north.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SamjiyonProductReview_RFrank102213-2.pdf |archive-date=2013-11-02 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=38 North}}

Different websites on the intranet may be available in different sets of languages. A website that sells postage stamps is available in Korean, English, and Chinese.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-04 |title=[단독] 북한, 우표 쇼핑몰 만들어 외화벌이 안간힘 |url=http://www.upinews.kr/newsView/upi202103030107 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304002904/http://www.upinews.kr/newsView/upi202103030107 |archive-date=2021-03-04 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=UPI뉴스 (United Press International) |language=ko}} The writings of the Kim family are available in Korean, Japanese, Russian, and Chinese.

Kwangmyong is designed to be used only within North Korea, and is referred to as an intranet. Kwangmyong prevents domestic users within North Korea from freely accessing foreign content or information and typically prevents foreigners from accessing domestic content. According to Daily NK, it "prevents the leak of classified data" and "functions as a form of information censorship, preventing undesirable information from being accessed".{{Cite web |date=2013 |title=Sounding Change in North Korea |url=https://www.dailynk.com/english/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NORTH-KOREA-SOUNDING-CHANGE.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202095632/https://www.dailynk.com/english/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NORTH-KOREA-SOUNDING-CHANGE.pdf |archive-date=2020-12-02 |access-date=2021-04-01 |website=Daily NK}} Thus, sensitive topics and information are unlikely to surface on Kwangmyong due to the absence of a link to the outside world and the censorship that occurs. Kwangmyong is maintained and monitored by government-related entities.{{Cite news |last=Talmadge |first=Eric |date=2014-02-03 |title=Surfing the Intranet: North Korea's authoritarian alternative to the World Wide Web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1124882/surfing-the-intranet-north-koreas-authoritarian-alternative-to-the-world-wide-web/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515110954/https://globalnews.ca/news/1124882/surfing-the-intranet-north-koreas-authoritarian-alternative-to-the-world-wide-web/ |archive-date=2021-05-15 |access-date=2021-03-31 |work=Global News |agency=Associated Press}} However, large amounts of material from the global Internet ends up on Kwangmyong, following processing. The operating systems of government-approved phones reject access to any applications that are not also approved by the government.

While foreigners in North Korea are generally not allowed to access Kwangmyong, they may have access to the global Internet.{{Cite web |last=Reddy |first=Shreyas |date=2019-07-05 |title=Analysis: How does North Korea use social media? |url=https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c200xiwn |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707025622/https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c200xiwn |archive-date=2019-07-07 |access-date=2021-03-31 |website=BBC News}} For security reasons networks with Internet and intranet access are air gapped so that computers with Internet access are not housed in the same location as computers with Kwangmyong access.

Given that there is no direct connection to the outside Internet, unwanted information cannot enter the network. Information is filtered and processed by government agencies before being hosted on the North Korean Intranet.{{Cite journal |title=North Korea's Internet strategy and its political implications |journal=The Pacific Review}} Myanmar and Cuba also use a similar network system that is separated from the rest of the Internet, and Iran has been reported as having future plans to implement such a network, though it is claimed that it would work alongside the Internet and would not replace it.Christopher Rhoads and Farnaz Fassihi, May 28, 2011, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704889404576277391449002016 Iran Vows to Unplug Internet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806114911/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704889404576277391449002016 |date=2017-08-06 }}, Wall Street Journal{{Cite book |last=Inc |first=IBP |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHCuBgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Kwangmyong%22+network+-wikipedia&pg=PA45 |title=Myanmar Internet and E-Commerce Investment and Business Guide – Regulations and Opportunities |date=2013 |publisher=Lulu Press |isbn=978-1-4387-3445-3 |page=45 |language=en |access-date=2021-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111152046/https://books.google.com/books?id=UHCuBgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Kwangmyong%22+network+-wikipedia&pg=PA45#v=onepage&q=%22Kwangmyong%22%20network%20-wikipedia&f=false |archive-date=2024-01-11 |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last=Radziwill |first=Yaroslav |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RydACgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Kwangmyong%22+network+-wikipedia&pg=PA105 |title=Cyber-Attacks and the Exploitable Imperfections of International Law |date=2015 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-29830-9 |page=105 |language=en |access-date=2021-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111152121/https://books.google.com/books?id=RydACgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Kwangmyong%22+network+-wikipedia&pg=PA105#v=onepage&q=%22Kwangmyong%22%20network%20-wikipedia&f=false |archive-date=2024-01-11 |url-status=live}}

Below is a list of sites that were listed on Kwangmyong's website portal in 2016.

Below is a list of sites that are not directly listed on www.sciteco.aca.kp (the Kwangmyong website portal) in 2016 and sites that have been confirmed to have been created on Kwangmyong after 2016.

{{Incomplete list|date=February 2025}}

{{portal|North Korea|Internet}}

• Internet in North Korea
• Internet censorship in North Korea
• Red Star OS
• Telecommunications in North Korea

{{Notelist|group=efn}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite news |last=Abt |first=Felix |date=11 June 2016 |title=North Korea's Illicit Internet |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/06/north-koreas-illicit-internet/ |work=The Diplomat}}
• {{Cite news |last=Kates |first=Glenn |date=6 May 2014 |title=Russia's 'Cheburashka' Internet? Probably Not, But Here Are Some Other Options |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-internet-censorship-sovereign-network/25375226.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Kim |first=Yoo Hyang |date=2004 |title=North Korea's Cyberpath |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42704472 |journal=Asian Perspective |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=191–209 |issn=0258-9184 |jstor=42704472 }}
• {{Cite news |last=Kochetkova |first=Kate |date=9 May 2016 |title=Sometimes Internet is too small to go round |url=https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/splinternet/12051/ |work=Kaspersky Daily |publisher=Kaspersky Lab}}
• {{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Jean H. |date=24 July 2011 |title=Quiet digital revolution under way in North Korea |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43872536 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126020918/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43872536 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |work=NBC News |agency=The Associated Press}}
• {{Cite news |last=Riesman |first=Abraham |date=5 January 2012 |title=Inside the Hermit Internet |url=https://www.vice.com/sv/article/qbwjz5/north-korea-s-internet-is-pocket-sized-and-dystopian |work=Vice Motherboard}}
• {{Cite news |date=11 July 2011 |title=North Korea To Create Internet Oasis |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/north_korea_to_create_internet_oasis/24262352.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}}
• {{Cite news |date=24 February 2001 |title=Computer Network Expanding Rapidly in DPRK |work=Choson Sinbo}}
• {{Cite news |last=Cooper |first=Stephen |date=27 August 2021 |title=North Korea Cyber Profile |url=https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/north-korea-cyber-profile/ |work=Comparitech}}
• {{Cite news |last=Ji |first=Dagyum |date=17 May 2018 |title=New North Korean website offering electronic payments, online bookings |url=https://www.nknews.org/2018/05/new-north-korean-website-offering-electronic-payments-online-bookings/ |work=NK News}}

{{Commons}}

• [http://www.northkoreatech.org/2015/07/06/a-peek-inside-north-koreas-intranet/ List of sites on Kwangmyong] at North Korea Tech
• [http://areena.yle.fi/1-3462510 Video of surfing on Kwangmyong] at Yle Areena
• [http://www.nkeconwatch.com/category/dprk-organizations/companies/korea-computer-center-kcc/kwangmyong-computer-network/ Kwangmyong computer network] at North Korea Economy Watch
• [http://www.icasinc.org/2002/2002l/2002ltxb.html Digital Divide on the Korean Peninsula] at Institute for Corean-American Studies
• [https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA521143.pdf Hermit Surfers of P'yongyang] at Defense Technical Information Center

{{Asia topic|Internet in}}

Category:2000 establishments in Korea

Category:Internet censorship

Category:Internet in North Korea

Category:Internet properties established in 2000

Category:Mass surveillance

Category:Telecommunications companies of North Korea

Category:Wide area networks